F
E
A
R
It’s amazing what FOUR letters can evoke in us. If we are honest with ourselves we all fear something – spiders, heights, death, the line at the DMV – the list could go on and on. As I’ve gotten older I find that my list of fears has grown:
What if I’m a failure? What if I can’t do my job well enough? Can I be the perfect Christian? Do I look good enough? Can I match up to others expectations of me? Will I be considered a successful mom? What if I get sick? What if something happens to my babies? Will my marriage last?
Somewhere along the line, I came to be ruled by my fears. I did not realize it was holding me back until about a week ago. Our women’s life group leader, Karen, was teaching on the Ruth Anointing and some things she said stuck with me. I had one of those introspective kinds of ah-ha moments the following day when talking to a coworker.
1. “This is an anointing to resurrect our dreams that we have buried” – how many dreams have we been given by the Lord and have put them on the back burner out of fear. There are things I want to do in life, dreams that I know the Lord has given me to fulfill and I have held off on pursuing them because of fear of failure and not being good enough.
2. Ruth gave up everything to follow Naomi, expecting nothing in return and gained more than she could have asked for or dreamed of. Ruth could have missed a blessing by letting the fear of the unknown stop her. How many times have we missed a blessing that God has reserved for us because we are fearful of what will be required of us, where we may need to go, or what we may have to leave behind to pursue it.
3. IF we want the Ruth Anointing, we cannot live our lives in fear. I have been doing that for months, maybe even years. I’ve been letting four little letters, the wrong four little letters, often times determine the outcome of my days.
But the Bible says at least 80 times “fear not”….we have been given a guidebook to follow on how to face what scares us most.
Isaiah 43:1 “Don’t fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are MINE”
2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind”
Nahum 1:7 “The Lord is good, a strength and stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge and trust in Him”
Psalm 55:22 “Give your worries to the Lord and He will care for you”
The next time you feel the cold claw of fear begins to grip you, turn to the promises our Savior has made and use His word as a guideline for breaking free from the grip of fear! Reach for the dreams God has planted in you; fulfill the destiny and plan He has laid out before you and tell Satan and the fear he is instilling in you where they can go!
It’s time to stop letting fear rule my life….fear of failure, fear of not being good enough, fear of mistakes…I HAVE a Ruth Anointing on my life but my dreams have been buried! It’s time to resurrect my dreams and take back what Satan has stolen! I’m willing to leave my comfort zone to experience the life God has for me. Are you?
